Adaptors for use in refilling gas burning cigarette lighters



W. RETZLER Nov. 4, 1969 ADAPTORS FOR USE IN REFILLING GAS BURNING CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Filed May 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 4, 1969 w. RETZLER 3,476,158

ADAPTORS FOR USE IN REFILLING GAS BURNING CIGARETTE LIGHTERS 7 Filed May 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g /0 7 QM gal f6 ,2, /7 if 25 United States Patent US. Cl. 14184 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adaptor which enables a range of cigarette lighters which are intended to be filled by various kinds of gas refill cartridges all to be filled from the kind of refill cartridge having a neck with an outlet valve which is normally opened by an axial reaction from the pintle or other part within a socket of a lighter reservoir. The adaptor has a base part which is arranged to be fitted to the cartridge neck and a stem which is flexibly mounted relatively to the base part such that only when the stem is pushed against a lighter inlet is the outlet valve in the cartridge opened to allow gas to fiow from the cartridge through the adaptor into the lighter.

There are a number of different kinds of gas refill cartridges used for refilling the gas reservoirs of gas burning cigarette lighters. For example, one kind, hereinafter referred to as of the first kind, has a neck which is arranged to fit into a socket in the lighter casing or reservoir and contains a spring loaded outlet valve which is opened, to allow the gas to fiow out by an axial reaction received by a movable part of the outlet valve from a part within the socket in the lighter as the neck is fitted into this socket. A second kind, hereinafter referred to as of the second kind, also has a neck which is arranged to fit into a socket in the lighter casing or reservoir, but this neck instead of being closed by a spring loaded valve, is closed by a piece of rubber or like material which is pierced by a hollow piercing pin within the socket of the lighter reservoir as the neck is inserted into the socket to allow the gas to flow from the cartridge and this piece of rubber or like material is self-sealing so that it closes up again when the neck is removed from the socket in the lighter reservoir after filling.

The present invention is concerned with an adaptor for fitting to a gas refill cartridge of the first kind to enable it to be used to fill a lighter which is intended to be filled from a gas refill cartridge of another kind, for example of the second kind. Such an adaptor is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,307,598 but this adaptor when fitted to the neck of a cartridge of the first kind keeps the outlet valve in the neck of the cartridge open so that a seal has to be provided in the adaptor which prevents gas from escaping from the cartridge until the adaptor is fitted to a socket in a lighter. Consequently, the adaptor has to be made in a number of parts, in that case four parts.

In accordance with the invention, an adaptor for fitting to a gas refill cartridge of the first kind described to enable it to be used to fill a lighter which is intended to be filled from a gas refill cartridge of another kind, comprises a base part which is arranged to be fitted to the neck of the cartridge of the first kind, and a stem part which is flexibly carried by the base part so as to be movable relatively to the base part in the axial direction of a cartridge neck to which the base part is in use fitted, one end of the stem part providing a tip for cooperation with the inlet of the lighter reservoir, and

3,476,158 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 the other end of the stem part providing a surface which is arranged to engage a movable part of the cartridge outlet valve; the arrangement being such that when the base part is fitted to a cartridge neck in use the cartridge outlet valve remains closed until the tip of the stem part is subsequently pushed against the lighter inlet whereupon the reaction received by the stem part from the lighter then causes the stem part to move relatively to the base part towards the cartridge neck so that the surface engages and moves the movable part of the cartridge outlet valve to open the valve in the neck of the cartridge and allow gas to flow from the cartridge through the adaptor and into the lighter reservoir.

With this arrangement, since the outlet valve in the cartridge is not opened when the adaptor is fitted to the cartridge until the adaptor is pushed against the inlet of the lighter reservoir, there is no need to provide a seal within the stem part and the adaptor can therefore be given a very simple construction. Indeed, it can be made as a single integral moulding of a resilient plastics material, such as polythene. When manufactured in this way the adaptor is an extremely cheap item which can be thrown away with the cartridge when the cartridge is empty after perhaps ten or twelve lighter-charging operations.

The tip of the stem must co-operate satisfactorily and make a reasonably good seal with the reservoir inlet of the lighter which is to be filled, but as the adaptor will only be used a relatively small number of times, the tip of the stem need not make a sophisticated seal with the lighter reservoir inlet. Thus, when the lighter to be filled is one which is intended to be filled from a gas refill cartridge of the second kind described, the tip of the stem of the adaptor may simply be formed with a small hole which receives the hollow piercing pin within the socket of the lighter reservoir as a tight push fit.

The most usual construction of cartridge of the first kind described has a screw threaded neck and its outlet valve is intended to be opened by cooperation with a pintle in a lighter inlet socket. For use with this type of cartridge the adaptor base part will incorporate a screw threaded socket containing a pintle which is flexibly mounted relatively to the base part but coupled to the stem part so that, in use, a reaction is transmitted from a lighter inlet, through the stem part and pintle which moves axially relatively to the base part, to the movable part of the cartridge outlet valve to open the valve.

The pintle preferably extends from the inner end of the socket and is substantially rigidly carried by the tubular stem which is, in turn, carried from the base part by means, for example, of a thin annular membrane extending radially inwardly at the inner end of the socket and due to its resilience facilitating a certain amount of axial movement. If the annular membrane has a natural conical or curved configuration such that it gives the inner end of the socket a concave shape, then the axial movement of the stern and pintle is further increased to open the valve in the cartridge without distorting the side walls of the socket.

In order to enable a number of differently constructed lighters to be recharged from the same cartridge, without the necessity of providing a completely separate adaptor for each lighter, the adaptor previously referred to may be provided with a set of different removable stem tips any one of which can be selectively fitted and sealed to the body of the stem to enable the adaptor to be fitted to an appropriate lighter the reservoir inlet of which cooperates with the tip chosen. The tips can be changed while the rest of the adaptor remains fitted to a cartridge of the first kind.

Each tip may have at one end a configuration for cooperation with the inlet of a corresponding type of cigarette lighter, and at its other end a socket which is arranged to fit over a body part of the stern of the adaptor as a firm push fit. In order to increase the rigidity of this push fit between the tip and the body part of the stem, the base part of the adaptor may have a tubular extension which surrounds the body part of the stem with an annular clearance, the wall of the socket of the tip being also a push fit Within this clearance.

Some of the different tips may be arranged to accommodate difierently sized pins of dilierent lighters which are intended to be refilled with cartridges of the second kind. Others of the tips may be provided with pintles, or with parts for engaging pintles of lighter inlet valves, when a pintle is necessary to open an inlet valve of the lighter reservoir. In general we find that of the lighters available on the market, no more than four different stem tips are necessary for refilling about thirty of the lighters and no more than five or six tips for refilling virtually all the available lighters.

Each of the tips is preferably connected to the base part of the adaptor through an integrally moulded flexible strap which can be bent to allow the tip, when selected, to be fitted to the body part of the stem of the adaptor. Most simply the straps extend radially outwards from the base part of the adaptor and the tips are formed one at the end of each strap. The base part of the adaptor with the body part of the stem, the straps, and the tips can then be formed as a single injection moulding after which any ancillary components of a different material, necessary for co-operation with a particular type of lighter can be fitted to the appropriate tip. The straps may have moulded into them some mark indicating the type of lighter to which the tip formed at the end of that strap is intended to be used.

One example of an adaptor according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the adaptor;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the line IIII in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section of a part of the adaptor taken on the line III-III in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a section of another part of the adaptor taken on the line IVIV in FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the line II-II in FIGURE 1 showing the adaptor with one of the tips fitted to the base part.

The adaptor comprises a single polythene moulding with a base part 6 and three stem tips 7, 8 and 9 attached to the base part 6 by three flexible straps 10, 11 and 12. The strap 11 includes a ring which can be slipped over the neck of a refill cartridge. As shown in FIGURE 2, the base part has a screw threaded socket 13 with a pintle 14 projecting from an end wall 15 of the socket. The end wall 15 is dished in a direction away from the socket opening and is formed as a relatively thin annular web membrane. An opening 16 leads from the socket 13 to the interior of a stem body 17, which is carried by the end wall 15 and which is surrounded by a concentric tubular extension 18 of the base part 6. An annular space 19 is thus formed between the stern body 17 and the eX- tension 18.

Each of the three stem tips 7, 8 and 9 has a diiferent end opening 20, 21, 22, each tip being intended to cooperate with a diflerent kind of lighter inlet valve and each of the straps has a mark 23, moulded into it, indicating the kind of lighter for which the corresponding tip is suitable. A similar socket 24 is formed at the end of each of the stern tips remote from the tip end opening 20, 21, or 22. Each of the straps 10, 11 and 12 can be bent so that any one of the stem tips 7, 8 and 9 can be fitted to the base part and FIGURE 5 shows the stem tip 9 so fitted. The outer wall of the stem tip surrounding the socket 24 is a push fit in the annular space 19 between the stem body 17 and extension 18. A seal is thus provided between the base part and the stem tip. When the stern tip is pushed fully home into the space 19, the stem body 17 abuts against an annular shoulder 25 in the socket 24.

A refuel cartridge 26 is shown in dotted lines in FIG- URE 5 having a screw threaded neck 27 and an outlet valve opened by depression of a pin 28 projecting beyond the neck 27. When the adoptor is to be used, the screw threaded socket 13 of the base part is screwed over the neck 27, the outside of the base part 6 being knurled for this purpose. When the adaptor is screwed onto the neck, the pintle 14 just touches the pin 28 but does not depress it and hence open the outlet valve. The stem tip is then applied to the inlet valve 29 of a lighter 30 so that, for example, a hollow needle 31 of the inlet valve enters the end opening of appropriate size of the adaptor stem as a push fit. When the cartridge 26 is pushed downwards towards the lighter 30, the reaction on the stem causes the inlet valve to open and the stem and pintle 14 to move relatively to the base part and extension 18, towards the recess 13 in the base part against the resiliency of the end wall 15 of the recess 13. The pintle 14 thereupon depresses the pin 28 opening the outlet valve in the refuel cartridge 26 and liquefied or gaseous fuel can flow from the cartridge 26 through the adaptor and into the fuel reservoir tank of the lighter 30. As soon as the cartridge is lifted again the outlet valve and inlet valve close again under their own biassing.

I claim:

1. An adaptor for fitting to a gas refill cartridge of the kind having a neck, a spring loaded outlet valve and a movable part of said outlet valve adapted to receive an axial reaction and thereby open said outlet valve to enable said cartridge to be used to fill lighters which are intended to be filled from gas refill cartridges of other kinds, said adaptor comprising a base part adapted to be fitted to the neck of said cartridge of the first kind, a stem body, means flexibly mounting said stern body relatively to said base part whereby said stem body is movable relatively to said base part in the axial direction of said cartridge neck to which said base is attached when in use, a plurality of stem tips attached to said base part and adapted to be selectively fitted and sealed to one end of said stem body for co-operation with the inlet of a reservoir of one of said lighters, and wall parts at the other end of said stem body providing a surface thereon for engaging said movable part of said cartridge outlet valve; whereby reaction received by said stem body from said lighter inlet when said stem body is pushed against said lighter inlet causes the opening of said outlet valve in said neck of said cartridge.

2. An adaptor according to claim 1, comprising an integral moulding from resilient plastics material.

3. An adaptor according to claim 1, wherein one of said stem tips of said adaptor is formed with means defining a small hole to receive a hollow piercing pin within the socket of a lighter reservoir having a hollow piercing pin adapted to co-operate with a gas refill cartridge of the kind having an outlet closed by a self-sealing resilient closure.

4. An adaptor according to claim 1, for co-operation with a cartridge having a screw-threaded neck wherein said base part incorporates an annular skirt defining a screw threaded socket, adapted to co-operate with said screw-threaded neck, and wherein said wall parts define a pintle contained within said socket.

5. An adaptor according to claim 4, wherein said pintle extends from the inner end of said socket and is substantially rigidly carried by said stern body which is, in turn, carried from said base part by means of a thin annular membrane extending radially inwardly at the inner end of said socket.

6. An adaptor according to claim 5, wherein the configuration of said annular membrane is such that it gives the inner end of the socket a concave shape.

7. An adaptor according to claim 1, wherein each of said stem tips has a wall defining a socket which is adapted to fit over said stern body=as a firmpush fit.

8. An adaptor according to claim 7, wherein a tubular extension of said base part surrounds said stern body with an annular clearance, said wall of said socket of each stern tip being a push fit Within clearance.

9. An adaptor according to claim 1, wherein each of said stern tips is connected to said base part through an integrally moulded flexible strap which can'be bent to allow the stem tip, when selected, to be fitted and sealed to said stern body. A

10. An adaptor according to claim 9, wherein said straps extend radially outwards from said base part and said stern tips are formed one at the end ,of each strap.

11. An adaptor for fitting to a gas refill cartridge of one kind to enable it to be used to fill a range of lighters adapted to be filled from gas refill cartridges of other kinds, said adaptor being a single iritegral moulding from plastics material and comprising a base part having a wall forming a socket, said socket being adapted to be fitted to the neck of said gas refill cartridge of said one kind, and a set of difierent tubular tips, said tubular tips being connected to said base part through separate fiexible straps, one end of each of said tips being arranged, upon bending of the corresponding strap to be sealingly fitted to the base part with the interior of said tip in communication with said socket, the other ends of said tips being adapted to be fitted to the gas reservoir inlets of different lighters of said range.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1964 Monahon 141349 7/1967 Van Brocklin 141349 US. Cl. X.R. 

